Kitty Zen Picture of the Day

Baby?

I thought *I* was the baby!

I found someone basking in the sun when I got home.

24 weeks

How Far Along: 24w3d

Size of baby: She is about a foot long and weighs 1 pound, 6 oz (according to the ultrasound yesterday)
Other things baby is up to: Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: +1 pound in the last week, total gain for the pregnancy: +10

Sex: Girl

Movement: Yep. I'm starting to feel jabs higher than the pubic bone now. M even felt the baby kick for the first time. She was kicking up a storm one night, so I grabbed M's hand and placed it on my lower belly. He waited about 10 seconds and then said "I don't feel anyth-Oh! Oh! I felt that!".
Sleep: Two nights ago I had the deepest sleep I've had in awhile. It was great....until the alarm clock went off.
Symptoms: The "waddling" continues. Oh well, I'm embracing my whale-ness. Apparently, this belly is big enough that strangers feel comfortable to comment on it. I've lost track of the "Oh, when are you due?" and the "Are you having a boy or a girl?" questions from strangers.
Maternity Clothes: Yeppers
Belly Button: Innie still.

Milestones: I hit viability day on Sunday!!!! Excuse me while I do a happy dance.
Looking forward to: July. Giving birth. Taking her home.
Next appointment: Next week at the OB. I think either on Monday or Tuesday...I need to double check my calendar.

Times I used the doppler in the last week: None. I've felt movement a few times each day (and lots at night). I'll save the doppler for when she tries to go stealth on me again.

Other: The crib is set up. I didn't realize it was a drop side, so we'll need to screw in the drop side so that it doesn't...drop.

Taken at 24w4d

I still don't know where the final placement of the crib will be (probably not next to the windows), but until we clear the rest of the room out and clean it up, here is it's temporary home.



I finished washing up the rest of the newborn and 0-3m clothes. Now, I just need a place to put them all. The dresser and closet are close to capacity!



I was preparing myself for the worse, and I didn't get the worse...

...and for that, I am very happy. My appointment with the MFM was this afternoon. Four weeks ago, during the anatomy scan, the Dr/Tech noticed that the femur was measuring small (10th percentile) and the head was small as well (14th percentile). So, they scheduled me for another ultrasound at the MFM to check on growth. During the anatomy scan, due to her position (stubborness), they weren't able to get a clear shot of her heart, so this appointment was also going to take a look at that and make sure it was normal.

We got to the MFM (by the way, this is the same MFM we went to exactly one year ago on Friday to confirm the anencephaly diagnosis, so I was already a mental basketcase when we arrived). At the beginning of the appointment, they had me fill out the standard paperwork. One of the boxes asked "Are you a new patient? Write Y or N." I wrote "kind of". There was also another section that asked if this pregnancy was a result of fertility treatments. Once again, instead of selecting Y or N, I wrote in: "Kind of". I guess, today, I didn't really fit into the boxes.

The ultrasound itself (well, the first one of 4 today) lasted for about 25 minutes. The good news is, they were able to get a clear  picture of the heart and all looked normal.

I watched the tech measure the other body parts and saw the "average gestational age" pop up on the screen for each of the measurements: 23w1d, 23w2d, 23w3d, 23w2, 23w1d, 23w1d. Problem, because I'm 24w2d (and yes, that date has been confirmed multiple times). The good news is, baby girl (still not shy to show us she's girl) has evened out, so there isn't one or two major body parts that are much smaller than the rest (like there was last time). The bad news is, she's measuring a week behind....everywhere.

The tech left the room to talk to the doctor, who came in and wanted to do another ultrasound. And queue baring the belly for ultrasound #2 of the day. This one only lasted for 15 minutes or so. He confirmed that the baby is measuring a week behind, and discussed possible reasons why this could be. The main one that causes growth restriction is high blood pressure. I told him about my 140/90 reading, and the 24 hour urine collection that came back clean. So, at that point, he had the tech came back into the room and do another ultrasound (#3) to see if there was any blood restriction to the uterus, as this is a good indicator if there could be blood pressure problems that could get worse later and restrict growth even further.

Lo and behold, I had restricted blood flow to the ute. It wasn't badly restricted, but it was enough for them to want to keep an eye on it, my blood pressure, baby girl's growth and my urine (spilling protein into the urine is a sign that things are getting bad). The good news that came out of this, is that her measuring a week behind can be linked to the restricted blow flow, and probably not anything else. So, she's healthy. And normal. And that's good.

Oh, and for ultrasound #4 I asked the doctor to check my cervix just to calm my irrational fears of this baby falling out before her time. Out comes the dildo cam (as the best way to see the cervix is via vaginal ultrasound, rather than belly ultrasound). Apparently, I still have a nice long, lovely looking cervix. Yay!

The doctor outlined the next steps:

-Keep activity low, rest lots, stay away from salt, and continue checking my blood pressure. I have a home kit, but I don't know how good it is. I took my blood pressure last week and it was 155/93. I checked it again 20 second later (not even readjusting the cuff) and it was 122/78. He said to continue checking my blood pressure a few times a week at home.

-Between now and the rest of this pregnancy, I need to go for follow up ultrasounds to check the growth every two weeks at the MFM. He also said that my OBGYN will probably want to do visits every two weeks as well, which means each week, I'll either have an appointment with the OBGYN or the MFM. Thank goodness I have a flexible job, and my boss lives two time zones away!

-Hope that this doesn't morph into preeclampsia. If it does, then I may have to go on bedrest (home or hospital) for the remainder of the pregnancy.

So, that's where we're at. I'm estastic that it looks like despite the slow growth, baby girl appears to be normal (and did I mention I have a long, lovely cervix that will hopefully keep her in there at least until late June?)

Here are a few pictures from today:

Still a girl. Guess I won't be returning the pink bedding set.



Up close and personal




Profile shot...and I think, an arm?



Crib Bedding

I was debating on whether I'd buy a matchy matchy crib bedding set or just piece it together. All the matchy matchy sets I saw were $150+. Plus, they were full of cartoon monkeys or frogs or other animals, which I abhor.

However, I saw this set on ebay for $50 ($70 with shipping for a 13 piece set), which met all my criteria (cheap, cute, easy for me to make artwork and other accessories for).

Let's just hope this baby stays a girl, or we'll have a baby boy who grows up with lots of pink!

Kitty Zen Picture of the Day (x2)

Apparently, modesty is not a virtue. She fell asleep in this position, but the camera woke her up.

She hasn't jumped yet (despite our coaxing). Self preservation runs deep in this one.

23 weeks

How Far Along: 23w2d

Size of baby: She is about 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound 1.5 pounds (about the same as a mango)
Other things baby is up to: Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that her increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as a dog barking (in our case, "Cooper", the neighbor's annoying dog) or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: +1 pound in the last week, total gain for the pregnancy: +9
(I lost 3 pounds while I was home sick last week, but managed to gain those back by Sunday.)

Sex: Girl

Movement: Yep. Still feels about the same. Little jabs right above my pubic bone. Apparently she is breech and has no plans to change position anytime soon!
Sleep: It didn't help that I've had a God-awful cold for the last week. I took two sick days from work, but I still have the sore throat/coughing/runny nose that keeps me up at night.
Symptoms: My lone stretch mark now has a friend. Thankfully, they are both still white, so while it's hard to see them, but I can sure feel them!
Maternity Clothes: Oh, yes.
Belly Button: Innie still.

Milestones: 5 days to viability day!
Looking forward to: The appointment/ultrasound with the MFM next Tuesday afternoon.

Next appointment: 3/29/11

Times I used the doppler in the last week: 1. She went into "stealth ninja mode" on me, so I didn't feel her all day. No kicks to let me know she's still alive? Then she gets the doppler. Simple cause and effect. Based on the kicks I heard via the doppler, she wasn't a happy camper that I brought the doppler out. However, we haven't had anymore stealth ninija episodes since.

Other: I washed all the premie, newborn, and 0-3 months clothes we were given. Now, I just need to organize them and hang them up. Oh, and the crib wasn't put together last weekend. Two parents-to-be who were sick over the weekend didn't get a whole lot done besides watch TV and sleep.

Taken at 23w2d:

And, just for fun...the difference that 12 weeks makes:

Houston....we have baby stuff. Like, the kind for a real baby.

There's a crib in our house. Like, the kind babies sleep in. The kind take-home babies sleep in.

When it's assembled (which, according to M, it will be this weekend), it will look like this:
http://www.milliondollarbaby.com/products/annabelle-3-in-1-convertible-crib


However, right now, it looks like this:




Curious cat not included in purchase

  There's one main perk in being the infertile amongst a group of fertile friends. While our friends are done having kids and are giving AWAY baby stuff, we are acquiring it. I have enough baby girl clothing to dress her for the first year of life and never wear the same outfit twice. Here's the haul:

Using some stuff I was about to throw away, I made a homemade mobile (anyone who owns a magic bullet mixer may find this familar):

Kitty Zen Picture of the Day

I caught the hunter...in mid hunt.

The prey? A red laser dot. It didn't stand a chance against tenacity like this.

22 weeks

How Far Along: 22w2d

Size of baby: At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, she is starting to look like a miniature newborn.

Other things baby is up to: Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. She has fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and deep wrinkles on her skin, which she'll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, her pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: -1 pound in the last week, total gain for the pregnancy: +8

Sex: Girl

Movement: Yep. I got some good jabs around 4a this morning. She is still breech, as I fee the jabs down low: right above my pubic bone. She gets active when I lie down on my back, or if I'm sitting with my thighs close to my chest.
Sleep: I'm still waking up a lot during the night and will usually lie awake for about 30 minutes around 4a.

Symptoms: I think I'm starting to waddle. I don't feel as graceful walking around as I did before. Also, I have a 3 inch long stretch mark (at least it's a white mark, not purple) on the right side of my belly.

Maternity Clothes: You betcha!

Belly Button: Innie still.

Milestones: 12 days to viability day! 142 days down, 124 days left to go!

Looking forward to: The appointment/ultrasound with th MFM in 2 weeks.

Next appointment: 3/29/11

Times I used the doppler in the last week: 1

Other: I'm checking out a crib today after work. Like, a place to put a baby. A live baby. Gulp.

Free 3d ultrasound

Tonight, I scored a free 3d/4d ultrasound. The ultrasound place we visited at 16 weeks is training a new tech, so they needed pregnant ladies to volunteer a half hour of their time so the tech can practice on their bellies. Well, hey, I'm a pregnant chick with an extra 30 minutes!

Here she (yep, still a she) is at 21w4d:



I think this is a bona fide yoga pose



Happy girl!



She's not modest

Nope, not modest at all

We have hands!

That's a lot of....color.

Over the weekend, a dear (and generous) friend dropped of a truckload (literally, a truckload) of baby stuff. It was a bit overwhelming to look at. Thankfully, this room is in a section of the house we don't go in very often, or else I think I would get heart palpitations each time I walked by it.

It kind of makes it more real that there will actually be a small human USING this stuff (other than the cat who keeps dragging small toys out of this room and dropping them by our bedroom door like some sort of peace offering to the two legged gods who keep her litter box clean and her food dish full).

But, wow. That's a lot of plastic. And bright colors. Wow.

21 weeks

How Far Along: 21w2d

Size of baby: She weighs over 12.7 ounces and is a little larger than 10 1/2 inches long, or about the length of a banana.

Other things baby is up to: Her growth has slowed somewhat though she is still growing and developing at a remarkable pace. Her skin, organs and central nervous system continue to develop and mature. The intestines are slowly starting to contract and relax.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: +4 pound in the last week, total gain for the pregnancy: +9 (I'm still scratching my head over how I gained 4 pounds in a week.)

Sex: Girl

Movement: Maybe, kinda, sorta? I keep feeling little bubbles right above my pubic bone a few times a day. Usually when I'm lying down or reclining at my desk chair at work.

Sleep: I'm waking up a lot during the night (can't get comfortable, pee breaks, etc)

Symptoms: Feeling good (minus the whole sleeping soundly part)

Maternity Clothes: You betcha!

Belly Button: Innie still.

Milestones: More consistent movement (if what I'm feeling is movement, and not just my body saying "WTF" to the Indian food I ate earlier.)

Looking forward to: The appointment/ultrasound with th MFM in 4 weeks. Please grow, baby girl. Get comfy in the "normal" range, K?

Next appointment: 3/29/11

Times I used the doppler in the last week: 1

Other: I collected a day's worth of pee and turned it in on Monday morning. I had to find the world's largest purse to cart my jug o' pee around in. It was a humbling experience, to say the least.

 

And a front view (yeah, I have no idea where my waist went either):

I Like Numbers

I had to drop off my 2,000mL of urine this morning (collected over the last 24 hours....fun times) at the OB's office and donate a few vials of blood.

While I was there, I asked for a copy of my anatomy scan results. I wanted to see the actual numbers, and not just the percents that we were told at the anatomy scan last week. I'm glad I am able to see the actual deviations of the femur length and head circumference from the "norm".  The femur was measured three times: 2.92cm, 2.98cm, 2.93cm, which is how they got the 2.94cm average.

All of the "small femur = horrible birth defect" items I saw online referenced a femur measuring about 2-4 weeks behind. I'm glad to fee that the femur for our baby is only one week behind.

All in all, I feel much better about the numbers. However, 3/29/11 can't get here fast enough (the date of our follow up ultrasound at the MFM). I want the doctor at the MFM to say "Awesome, your baby is right in the middle of the growth chart in all areas. I give her a clean bill of health. Now go forth and gestate normally."

Here is a explanation of the growths shown below. Click Me

Item Measured	Average for 20w	Baby at 20w1d	Shown gestational age	Percentile
Biparietal Diameter	4.7cm	4.54cm	19w5d	32.0%
Occipitofrontal diameter	6.1cm	5.68cm	n/a	n/a
Head Circumference	17.0cm	16.8cm	19w3d	14.4%
Adominal Circumference	15.1cm	14.51cm	19w6d	33.5%
Femur Length	3.2cm	2.94cm	19w0d	10.8%
Humourous Length	3.1cm	29.97cm	19w5d	38.2%
Cerebral Cortex	n/a	2.09cm	19w6d	65.9%

________________________________________________

Cervix Length	5.04cm
Fetal Heart Rate	159bpm
Fetus Weight	295g (10oz)

Kitty Zen Picture of the Day

Someone got stuck between the cushions and the back of the couch.

20 weeks

How Far Along: 20w2d

Size of baby: She weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel; the length of a banana.
Other things baby is up to: Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Apparently, this kid is going to like spicy Mexican and Indian food. She'll be gnawing on her first jalapeno by 6 months, I think.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: +0 pound in the last week, total gain for the pregnancy: +5
Sex: Girl (for sure this time)
Movement: I think I felt movement at 19w5d. It was like a cell phone vibrating right above my pubic bone. I haven't felt anything since.
Sleep: I'm waking up a lot during the night (can't get comfortable, pee breaks, etc)
Symptoms: Feeling good!
Maternity Clothes: Oh, yes. Kohls is awesome.
Belly Button: Innie still.
Milestones: Half baked! (The baby, not me) Less than 20 weeks to go until my due date.  

Looking forward to: The appointment/ultrasound with th MFM in 4 weeks. Please grow, baby girl. Get comfy in the "normal" range, K?
Next appointment: 3/29/11
Times I used the doppler in the last week: 3
Other: I'm nervous that her femur and head won't catch up with the rest of her body.